Canadian military instructors to come to Ukraine in August - media

OTTAWA, June 24. /TASS/. Canadian military instructors will come to Ukraine in August, CTV channel reported on Tuesday.

According to source in Canada’s Defense Ministry, a planning team that recently arrived in Ukraine will be tasked with preparations for stationing the main contingent. Canada plans to send around 200 instructors to Ukraine. The specifics of the two-year mission have not been disclosed.

Last week, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko in a telephone conversation that Canadian military instructors will stay in Ukraine until 31 March 2017.

Several local media reported that Canadian specialists will possibly train the Azov battalion. However, Canada’s National Defense Minister said that military specialists will only train Ukraine’s National Guard and Armed Forces.